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ƒÞ Dominant swimming skills
ƒÞ Body position
ƒÞ Propulsion
ƒÞ Recovery
ƒÞ Breathing mechanics
ƒÞ Timing
Ć Body Position
¡V Ride high in water, assisted by kick
¡V Swim on side, little time spent in flat
¡V 45 degree roll, equal to both sides
¡V Horizontal and vertical plane alignments
Ć Head Position
¡V Head relatively high
¡V Water at hair line
¡V Still
Ć Body Alignment and Balance
¡V Rotation long axis from head to feet. Neck and spine alignment.
¡V Maintaining balance long axis
¡V Deepest point in stroke, hand acts as a pivot around which hips can rotate
¡V Head is important to stay inline, deviation from center makes it difficult to maintain balance
¡V Head drops chin towards chest, hips raise, kick provides floatation
¡V Find head position to give optimum high body position
¡V Balance in front, kick body forward
¡V ¡§skate¡¨ side to side quickly,
¡V One shoulder constantly out of the water, less resistance
Streamline
ƒÞ Reduces drag
ƒÞ Increase speed and resistance
ƒÞ Efficiency in water
Propulsion
Ć Arm Action, developed around sculling motions
¡V Hand enters index finger first, pitch of hand outward, in front of shoulder
¡V High elbow, straight wrist on entry
¡V Elbow bends as hand sweeps thumb up towards chest, increase acceleration
¡V Elbow pointing towards side wall
¡V Hand accelerates throughout stroke as body rotates onto side
¡V Hand exists little finger first
¡V Recovery high elbow with hand underneath elbow, close to the water, close to the body
¡V The hand reenters the water in a controlled manner
Ć Leg Action Kicking
¡V Generated from muscles of buttocks and thigh. Imagine your leg swinging as a pendulum from your hip
¡V Toes pointed and in a relaxed manner
¡V Ankles are relaxed and loose
¡V Steady and continuous
Balances the body
Provides some propulsion
Need to condition the legs
Better kick/better swim
Ć Breathing Mechanics
¡V Breath is taken when hand finishes past thigh
¡V Head returned to center before midway of recovery
¡V Continuous or explosive exhalation
¡V Minimal head action. Belly button rotates to side wall.
¡V Mouth is placed in trough that follows bow wave generated by head
Ć Timing
¡V Core body power, coordinate hand entry with hip roll
¡V Right hand entry, left hip tipped upward, maximizing stretching the right side
¡V As right hand catches water and begins to pull the right hip quickly rotates upward
¡V Cross body stretch creates hand speed, acceleration of body forward
¡V ¡§opening of hips¡¨ accelerates hand speed
Swimming Tips
Posted: February 26, 2007
Swimming TechniqueƒÞ Dominant swimming skills
ƒÞ Body position
ƒÞ Propulsion
ƒÞ Recovery
ƒÞ Breathing mechanics
ƒÞ Timing
Ć Body Position
¡V Ride high in water, assisted by kick
¡V Swim on side, little time spent in flat
¡V 45 degree roll, equal to both sides
¡V Horizontal and vertical plane alignments
Ć Head Position
¡V Head relatively high
¡V Water at hair line
¡V Still
Ć Body Alignment and Balance
¡V Rotation long axis from head to feet. Neck and spine alignment.
¡V Maintaining balance long axis
¡V Deepest point in stroke, hand acts as a pivot around which hips can rotate
¡V Head is important to stay inline, deviation from center makes it difficult to maintain balance
¡V Head drops chin towards chest, hips raise, kick provides floatation
¡V Find head position to give optimum high body position
¡V Balance in front, kick body forward
¡V ¡§skate¡¨ side to side quickly,
¡V One shoulder constantly out of the water, less resistance
Streamline
ƒÞ Reduces drag
ƒÞ Increase speed and resistance
ƒÞ Efficiency in water
Propulsion
Ć Arm Action, developed around sculling motions
¡V Hand enters index finger first, pitch of hand outward, in front of shoulder
¡V High elbow, straight wrist on entry
¡V Elbow bends as hand sweeps thumb up towards chest, increase acceleration
¡V Elbow pointing towards side wall
¡V Hand accelerates throughout stroke as body rotates onto side
¡V Hand exists little finger first
¡V Recovery high elbow with hand underneath elbow, close to the water, close to the body
¡V The hand reenters the water in a controlled manner
Ć Leg Action Kicking
¡V Generated from muscles of buttocks and thigh. Imagine your leg swinging as a pendulum from your hip
¡V Toes pointed and in a relaxed manner
¡V Ankles are relaxed and loose
¡V Steady and continuous
Balances the body
Provides some propulsion
Need to condition the legs
Better kick/better swim
Ć Breathing Mechanics
¡V Breath is taken when hand finishes past thigh
¡V Head returned to center before midway of recovery
¡V Continuous or explosive exhalation
¡V Minimal head action. Belly button rotates to side wall.
¡V Mouth is placed in trough that follows bow wave generated by head
Ć Timing
¡V Core body power, coordinate hand entry with hip roll
¡V Right hand entry, left hip tipped upward, maximizing stretching the right side
¡V As right hand catches water and begins to pull the right hip quickly rotates upward
¡V Cross body stretch creates hand speed, acceleration of body forward
¡V ¡§opening of hips¡¨ accelerates hand speed
